Usually, Superman is the guy who does the rescuing. But after 2006’s “Superman Returns” underperformed at the box office, it looked like the comic book hero’s movie career might be finished.

So Hollywood called in their own Man of Steel, director Christopher Nolan, to help revive the struggling franchise, just like he did with “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” In a lengthy interview with the Los Angeles Times, Nolan talked for the first time about his plans for relaunching Superman, and his intentions to make a third and final Batman film.

Nolan admits in the interview that the idea for his take on Superman came about when he was stuck while working on the story for the next Batman movie. In a fit of writer’s block, David Goyer, who crafted the stories of the previous two films with Nolan, made an off-hand proposal of what they could do with a Superman movie.

“He basically told me, ‘I have this thought about how you would approach Superman,’” Nolan said. “I immediately got it, loved it and thought: That is a way of approaching the story I’ve never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting.

Goyer recently left his position as the showrunner of ABC’s drama “Flash Forward” to begin work on the Superman screenplay. Nolan will not be directing the film himself; instead he will oversee its development as a producer.

The other bombshell in the interview is that Nolan intends for his follow-up for the hugely successful “The Dark Knight” to be his last Batman film. He says that his brother Jonathan, who co-wrote the last movie, is currently at work on the screenplay. Nolan says that finding an ending to Batman’s story is the main appeal for him to return to Gotham City.

“I’m very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we’ve done with the characters,” Nolan tells the Times. “Unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful.”

Nolan also says he and his writing partners are applying the lessons they learned from the Batman series and applying it to Superman. He said they are “trying to find an incredible story in a way that audiences can engage with it the way they engage with contemporary action films.” Just don’t expect the two superheroes to cross paths. Nolan makes it clear in the interview: “Each [superhero] serves to the internal logic of the story. They have nothing to do with each other.”

Ever since Nolan’s involvement in a new Superman film was announced, the internet has been flooded with rumors and speculation about the project. Nolan’s wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, laughs off the gossip, telling the Times, “I don’t know where this stuff comes from.” And as for which villain Batman will face in his final outing, all Nolan will say is “It won’t be Mr. Freeze.”

Before we see the return of either costumed hero, though, Nolan will be bringing an original story to the screen — his first since his breakout indie “Memento.” Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, “Inception” is a globe-trotting, mind-bending thriller that will hit theaters on July 16. While there have been unconfirmed reports that the third Batman film will begin production later this year, the Times article says that Superman won’t be flying onto screens until 2012 or 2013.

by Matt McDaniel · March 10, 2009 —-Article from Yahoo.com

Well, that record didn’t last long.

Just three days after a Superman book became the first comic to sell for $1 million, a Batman comic book sold Thursday at auction for about $75,000 more.

Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas reports that a rare copy of Detective Comics No. 27 from 1939 — in which “The Batman” made his debut — sold for a record-setting $1,075,500.

The consignor and the buyer — who purchased the comic online via a “click bid” — chose to shield their identities (how apropos). And holy deja vu, Batman: Like the Superman comic that sold Monday in New York, the Caped Crusader comic is graded to be in “8.0″ condition on the industry’s 10-point scale.

“It really has an amazing appearance,” says Lon Allen, sales director for Heritage’s comic books division. “The bright yellows with Batman swooping in — you can really tell it was stored properly from the beginning.”

There are only between 100 and 200 copies of Detective Comics No. 27 in existence, Allen says, and perhaps none in such “very fine” condition. In 1939, the comic sold for 10 cents; the consignor bought the book in the ’60s for $100.

Before Monday, the record for a comic book sale was $317,000 (in 2009, for another copy of the 1938 Superman-debut issue).

“I think this is ushering in a whole new ballgame” in sale prices, Allen says. “This is going to give a boost to the . . . highest-grade of all comics.”

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – John Krasinski as Captain America?

It could happen as Marvel conducts screen tests this week in its search for the actor to play Steve Rogers, the alter ego of the title character in its “Captain America” movie.

The company’s latest superhero movie is being directed by Joe Johnston (“Wolfman”) and tells the story of the young infirm man rejected from enlisting who becomes America’s symbol of liberty during World War II and eventually a member of Marvel’s superhero team the Avengers.

About seven actors have moved to the front of the super soldier serum testing line and have either tested or are expected to screen test this week and next at Marvel’s Manhattan Beach, Calif., headquarters.

Those known to be on the list with Krasinski include Michael Cassidy (who appeared in “Smallvile” and who tested for the Superman movie when McG was going to direct it), Patrick Flueger (one of the stars of ” The 4400 ” who most recently appeared in the Tobey Maguire movie ” Brothers “), Scott Porter (TV’s ” Friday Night Lights “), Wilson Bethel (” Generation Kill “) and Mike Vogel (” Cloverfield “).

Chace Crawford is also in talks to screen test, though no deal has been made.

Garret Hedlund, already starring in Disney’s “Tron,” was also on the list to test but has fallen off, at least for now, because of scheduling conflicts. Insiders say he may still make the testing round. Jensen Ackles is another actor who had scheduling conflicts.

The studio has put the actors on 30-day holds during the testing process.

Sources on both sides caution that an actor may not be found from the tests, which happened during Marvel’s search for the man who would be “Thor.” For that movie, currently shooting in Manhattan Beach, the studio conducted several rounds of testing but found its star, Chris Hemsworth, late in the game, after initially passing on his audition reel.

While Marvel is looking for someone on the youngish side and who can play rugged, one key ingredient emerging is that the actor be American, according to insiders. So far, no British or Australian actors have been seriously considered though the search could widen if no suitable candidates are found.

It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s the First Million Dollar Comic Book! First Superman Comic Shatters All Records with Unprecedented $1,000,000 Sale. Rare Action Comics #1 Unveiled in New York

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February 22, 2010

They said it couldn’t be done. They said that no comic book—no matter how rare—would ever sell for $1,000,000. This week, they were proven wrong. And in the midst of a recession, no less!

That’s because ComicConnect.com, one of the industry’s leading online auction/consignment sites, just sold an extremely rare, top-condition copy of the world’s most coveted comic book for exactly $1,000,000. That figure is more than three times higher than the prior record-holder, also set by ComicConnect.com.

That comic book, of course, is Action Comics #1, which marked the debut of Superman in 1938 and promptly changed the course of pop culture forever.

This particular copy has been in a private collection for more than 15 years, and it’s likely to disappear again once it’s been turned over to its new owner. However, ComicConnect.com will allow the media to view it briefly in its New York City showroom (873 Broadway, Suite 201, 212-895-3999). The showroom is also home to ComicConnect.com’s affiliate, Metropolis Collectibles (metropoliscomics.com), the largest vintage comic book dealer in the world.

“It’s the Holy Grail of comic books,” says founder Stephen Fishler, one of the leading experts on collectible comics.

“Before Action Comics #1, there was no such thing as a superhero or a man who could fly,” notes Fishler, who created the 10-point grading scale which today is used universally to evaluate the condition of comic books.

“It’s the single most important event in comic book history,” adds ComicConnect.com co-owner and COO, Vincent Zurzolo.

Only about 100 copies Action Comics #1 remain in existence, and of those 100, only two have received a grading of 8.0 (Very Fine) or higher. This particular book is one of them, making it among the rarest of the rare.

Up until now, the record-holder was another Action Comics #1, this one with a grading of 6.0. It sold on ComicConnect.com for $317,200 in 2009.

According to the Overstreet Price Guide to Comic Books—the industry bible—Action Comics #1 is indisputably the highest-valued comic book of all time. In second place is Detective Comics #27, which marked the first appearance of Batman in 1939. An Action Comics #1 graded 8.0 or higher is priced about 25% higher than a comparable Detective Comics #27.

Until last week, some collectors weren’t aware of the existence of this million dollar copy. Fishler, however, knew it well, because 15 years ago, he sold it for $150,000.

But why the big jump in price?

“High-grade copies are rarely, rarely offered for sale,” explains Zurzolo. “When they do come on the market, you can expect to see a big leap in value.”

“I knew that someday, there would be a seven figure comic book sale, and I dreamed of being part of that historic moment. But I didn’t think it would happen so soon, particularly given the current state of the economy.”

Imagine: back in 1938, this very comic book sold for ten cents, its sole purpose to entertain a child. 72 years later, some very fortunate adult is willing to spend $1,000,000 for the privilege of owning it—something most experts believed would never happen.

“Is it worth it?” says Fishler. “Absolutely. There is nothing else like it.”

James Cameron’s Avatar had its premiere in Los Angeles tonight, and MySpace had a television crew on-hand at the “blue carpet” to interview arrivals.

One of the people there was director Bryan Singer, who directed X-Men and X2: X-Men United for Avatar distributor 20th Century Fox at the start of the decade. In recent interviews, Singer has been asked about possibly directing the planned prequel X-Men: First Class, and he always seemed interested, but earlier this evening he let slip that he has in fact just signed the deal with Fox to direct the next “Origins” film, which will reportedly look at the early days of Cyclops, Jean Grey and others at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

You can see for yourself what Bryan Singer told the interviewer about signing to do X-Men: First Class if you go to the Official MySpace site, click on “Next Slide” at the bottom left and then scroll forward to the 27-minute mark where he’s asked about what he has coming up next. He tells the interviewers without any hesitation and complete seriousness: “I’m ramping up to do a movie called ‘Jack the Giant Killer’ at Warner Bros, and I just yesterday signed a deal to do an ‘X-Men: First Class Origins’ picture, which is kind of cool. I’m very excited.”

This is very exciting news for “X-Men” fans who have been hoping Singer would return to the fold and hopefully we’ll have more to report on this news soon.

(Thanks to our pals at ScreenRant.com, FirstShowing.net and FlickChart.com for drawing our attention to this.)

Columbia has scrapped “Spider-Man 4″ and is rebooting its Spider-Man film franchise.

The studio is parting ways with director Sam Raimi and “Spider-Man” stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and is taking the webslinger’s alter ego, Peter Parker, back to high school.

The new movie, which will still be produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios, is eyeing a release in summer 2012.

The news of the reboot follows weeks of script problems in which the studio was at loggerheads with Raimi over which villains to use in the movie. The clashes were kept mostly under radar but last week erupted into the public when it became clear that the studio was not going to meet its start date and subsequently its May 6, 2011, release date.

Columbia and Raimi put on a unified front Monday when making the announcement they were parting.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire, and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the boxoffice, and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise.

“Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal said in a statement.

Said Raimi: “Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.”

Get More Entertainment News from The Hollywood Reporter

“Gossip Girl” Blake Lively may want to set aside her New York fashionista wardrobe and prepare to incorporate more Lycra. The actress is the latest to join the hero squad after she signed on to star in “Green Lantern,” based on the DC Comic series. Chalk it up to one more sign that everyone’s a superhero these days.

Lively will star as Carol Ferris. She will star as the love interest for Green Lantern, played by Ryan Reynolds, who has plenty of his own good deeds ahead. After wearing green for the Martin Campbell-directed movie, Reynolds will return for “Deadpool,” a spinoff based on his character in the hit film, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Not to worry, “X-Men” fans — that doesn’t mean the franchise will take a hit. Director Bryan Singer is returning for another round, and is planning a prequel that is being called “X-Men: First Class.”

Singer shared a few plot details with Variety, noting that it will cover “the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, the formation of the school and where [their] relationship took a wrong turn. There will be a lot of new mutants and a great villain.”

Good news. Mutants and great villains mean plenty of juicy roles to go around, not that Hollywood seems to be hurting with Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, and Robert Downey Jr. teaming up for “Iron Man 2″ or “Jonah Hex,” where Megan Fox and Josh Brolin try to rid the world of the undead.

The only actor who seems to have had enough super-antics? Stuart Townsend, who gave up the role of the villain of Marvel Comic’s movie adaptation of “Thor.” Townsend left the project today, citing creative differences, according to sources close to the set, who add that he’ll be replaced by Joshua Dallas. The movie begins production today, with a power cast (naturally) that also includes Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins.

Is DC Comics‘ high-flying superhero Hawkman headed for the big screen next? And who will be Green Lantern’s main squeeze? Ahead of next month’s big DC Entertainment announcements, rumors about their movies have started appearing all over the place.

Collider has picked up on a rumor that Hawkman will be the next DC superhero to get the movie treatment. Given the continued lack of success of a Hawkman comic – Like Aquaman, he’s one of those characters who keeps getting relaunched without ever really gaining a lot of traction in terms of sales – we’re unconvinced, but it’s not impossible considering former Hawkman writer Geoff Johns being part of DC Comics’ movie braintrust. Maybe we should wait and see how popular his upcoming Smallville guest appearance is.

Meanwhile, Latino Review is reporting that Green Lantern’s girlfriend Carol Ferris is close to being cast, and that the choice for the role is between Bond Girl Eva Green, Keri Russell, Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, former Elektra Jennifer Garner and Inglourious Basterds‘ Diane Kruger. With the movie slated to begin production next month, expect an announcement any day now. We just hope that whoever gets picked knows that she’ll probably end up in Star Sapphire’s revealing costume in a future sequel…

Send an email to Graeme McMillan, the author of this post, at graeme@io9.com.

The latest clip from Mark Millar’s live action adapted movie is out, featuring Hit-Girl. It’s like she’s stepped straight out of the bloody comics — serving up hard, cold death. We’re just terrified of little Mindy and her skeevy pops.

The actress climbing the walls, smashing mobsters through glass tables and throwing knives, is Chloe Moretz. We just adore her, plus she’s the most intimidating Kick-Ass hero, thus far. The 12-year-old’s character name is Mindy Macready, but her street name is Hit-Girl. When she’s not fighting crime she’s taking bullets from her dear old Dad, Nic Cage. So far, so good — and it doesn’t hurt that the clips have all been almost direct translations of the comics foul-mouthed dialogue, as you can see above.

Kick-Ass will be in theaters April 16th.

Digital drawing of an “Evil Cabbie” Originally recorded from a live streaming broadcast. This has been time lapsed from an hour long video.